Shark set a record for swimming 27,666km across the Pacific Ocean

A silk shark broke a world record by migrating tens of thousands of kilometers in 546 days .

The shark nicknamed Genie was first discovered near Wolf Island in the northern Galapagos Marine Reserve in July 2021. Researchers from the Charles Darwin Society (CDF) then tracked its journey over 546 days, the Mail reported on May 24. "Understanding the migration journeys of silky sharks and other threatened shark species is important to develop effective management measures to prevent global population declines," said Dr. Pelayo Salinas de León, head of the research team, said.

Researchers put a tracking tag on a silk shark. (Photo: Pelayo Salinas de León).

Scientists put a tag on Genie before it began its trip of more than 27,666km in 546 days . The distance is equivalent to traveling from one end of the United States to the other four times. Genie's journey included two significant westward migrations, spanning 4,755km from Wolf Island to international waters. The trip also broke the previous travel record when the distance was nearly 6 times farther, according to the research team.

Silky sharks are currently listed as "vulnerable species" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and are particularly vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth and maturation. late. They are one of the most frequently caught shark species in the fishing industry and are a top conservation priority for CDF and many other organizations.

"We have been tracking Genie for 1.5 years, and the data reveals consistent repeat movements over large distances offshore, well beyond current protected and managed marine areas." , said Dr. Mahmood Shivji, study co-author. He and his colleagues describe their findings in the journal Fish Biology .